Free in DC is an arts, culture, and consciousness resource dedicated to all the cool, free, low-cost things to do in Washington, DC… proving you don't need to spend a lot to live a rich life in this town! See DC through the eyes of a local who lives in the city and is plugged into the scene. All events are free, donation-based, or $10 or less and accessible by Metro or bus in VA, MD or DC.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

So, it's Labor Day weekend and things are pretty quite here in DC. Here are a few FREE events from CultureCapital that don't already have individual posts. To learn more, please click through the event and location links.

Midnight DJ's spin the best of goth, industrial and 80's music all night long. Guest DJ'ing this week is my old friend from my clubbing days, DJ Solaries. Drink specials by one get one free from 9:00pm - 10:00pm.

Explore the music of Chilean-German electronic music producer and DJ, Ricardo Villalobos, known for his work in the minimal techno and mircohouse genres as JQM hosts a night celebrating Villalobos. Each of the three selectors for the night - PeteOne, Beema, and Adam Ross - bring a unique aspect of Ricardo's craft to present a night in his honor for your enjoyment. Watch a video click here!

Launch of Story/Stereo's Second Season at the Writer's Center in Bethesda with Aryn Kyle (Boys and Girls Like You and Me) and Allison Benis White (Self-Portrait with Crayon) reading from their works. Joined by musician John Davis.

Davis (formerly of Georgie James, with Laura Burhenn, and Q And Not U) will perform a short solo set before bringing his bandmates on stage. His performance will follow two of The Writer’s Center’s fall 2010 Emerging Writer Fellows.

Adventure Theatre, the longest-running children's theatre in the Washington, D.C. area, announces its annual Open House. The day's schedule begins with a showing of the short film, 'Where's Spot?', based on the books by Eric Hill and in conjunction with Adventure Theatre's upcoming show, Spot's Birthday Party.

Author Rob Verchick discusses and signs his new book Facing Catastrophe: Environmental Action for a Post-Katrina World. In this bold contribution to environmental law, Robert Verchick argues for a new perspective on disaster law that is based on the principles of environmental protection. His prescription boils down to three simple commands: Go Green, Be Fair, and Keep Safe.

Verchick is currently on leave from his position at Loyola University and is serving in the Obama administration as the Deputy Associate Administrator at the E.P.A.’s Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation. This event is co-sponsored by The Center For Progressive Reform.

Mark Warren discusses and signs his new book Fire in the Heart: How White Activists Embrace Racial Justice, which reports powerful accounts of the development of racial awareness drawn from in-depth interviews with fifty white activists in the fields of community organizing, education, and criminal justice reform.

Author Mark Warren is Associate Professor of Education and a fellow at the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard University. He is a sociologist and author of Dry Bones Rattling, a book on the nation's largest progressive faith-based organizing network. This event is co-sponsored by The Advancement Project and the Poverty Race Research Action Council.

Busboys and Poets5th and K St, NWMetro: Mt Vernon Sq or Gallery Pl and walk about ten minutes or so or take the Circulator bus to 5th & Mass and walk one block

Metro: Only accessible by bus along 16th St you can take any S bus, S1, S9, S2, S4,from Silver Spring Metro or McPherson Sqaure, pick up along 16th or at I and 15th, or you can walk over to 16th St and Irving from Columbia Heights Metro, the bus ride is shortest from Columbia Heights.

AM Radio artists, through the creation of live art murals, will present this symbolism by integrating an actual beverage into their paints. Each artist will select a flavor of Vitamin Water to both build a concept for their piece around as well as mix into their paints which will allow for a truly authentic experience. Quite literally, the artist and medium will display the fluid relationship between them. For more info, click here and also here!

What to expect: * Live painting: each live painting will be inspired by and painted using a flavor of Vitamin Water of the artist's choosing * Complimentary Vitamin Water * Community Wall: attendees to express themselves through paint *DJ 2-Tone Jones: hip-hop, soul, rare grooves.

The Fridge516 8th St, SEin the alleyMetro: Eastern Market, turn right on 8th along Barracks Row and turn into alley across the street from matchbox

Kokayi's Single Release Party of Roxtar at Little Miss Whiskey's on H St, NETuesday, August 31st10:30pmFree, 21+

The General Store Inc & Little Miss Whiskey's Golden Dollar invite you to join Kokayi, DJ Saucee and Team Ook to celebrate the single's release of Roxtar, from Kokayi's new album "Robots & Dinosaurs" scheduled to debut late this September. Sample LMW's special "Roxtar" Drink. Prizes supplied by fredflare.com. Red Velvet Cupcakes. Faux Tattoos and More Courtesy of Team Ook. Little Miss Whiskey's1104 H St,NEMetro: Gallery Place - Chinatown and take the X2 bus from H St at 7th or wait for the free H St shuttle bus which runs about every 30 min on 7th at H St, NW.

Special tonight is a musical feature rather than a poet!See facebook invite hereList opens at 8:30, Show starts at 9:00pmAll ages, FreeDonations are appreciated, suggested $5-$10

Founded just last year, SongRise is Washington DC's all women social justice acappella group. I've heard them before and they are really quite inspiring. Definitely recommend checking them out. Performing everything from Sweet Honey in the Rock to Salt N Pepa, the group offers up their singing talents at community events, rallies, protests, farmer's markets, civil rights celebrations, DC voting rights events, arts showcases, in schools, at churches, and in prisons. You can find SongRise on facebook here.BloomBars3222 11th St, NWnext to Wonderland, at KenyonMetro: Columbia Heights

With literary aspirations layered over low-key rhythms and longing vocals, These United States pop and sizzle, stomp and ponder, warble and whoop, but always seek to engage thelistener in a thought and a story.

Curious about a rug or textile you purchased while traveling or that you have recently inherited? Looking for advice on how to properly store and display your pieces? Drop in to learn more about your objects from Textile Museum curatorial and conservation staff. TM curators specialize in traditional textiles from non-Western cultures, but conservation staff can answer questions about caring for textiles produced worldwide.The Textile Museum2320 S St, NWMetro: Dupont Circle, Q St north exit

Last Chance Shout out for works by Alex PergamentOn view at Tryst through tomorrowTuesday, August 31stFree

On view 'til tomorrow at Tryst coffeehouse, bar and lounge. From the artist, Alex Pergament "The photographs capture the mood or touch of specific moments in time. I deliberately misrepresent the scene by using out-of-focus, over and under exposure, and camera movement. This results in pieces not immediately identifiable as photographs, where the physical reality becomes secondary to the experience of the scene."

If you go at night tonight or tomorrow, you'll also be able to catch some Live Jazz at Tryst!

Tryst 2459 18th St, NWright near Columbia RdMetro: Woodley Park or Columbia Heights and take the Circulator bus or walk about 15-20 minutes or take the 42 bus from Dupont Circle toward Mt Pleasant to 18th St.

Free Happy Hour at Paola's in Georgetown with WTDThursday, September 2nd

6:00pm - 8:00pmFree, RSVP onlinefor 2 free happy hour drinks, 21+This week’s happy hour from What's the Deal, a local, DC based company that offers super sweet discount deals, many under ten dollars, to bars, restaurants and great venues in the area... and, I am pleased to announce, a new sponsor of Free in DC... will be at Paolo's in Georgetown. Two free happy hour drinks for those who RSVP in advance. Specials on food include personal pizza's and fried eggplant for just $5.

"Best Deal of the Week for $10 or less"

Each week with the happy hour post I'll also highlight what I consider to be the best deal for $10 or less on WTD's site.

NEW: No more standing in line. Tickets will now be given via online lottery!

Shakespeare Theatre Company Free-for-All at Harman Hall (it used to be outside at Carter Barron) Starts on August 19th - September 5th. This year, you won’t have to wait in long lines in the summer heat outside of the theater to maybe get a ticket, instead you will simply enter the Online Lottery for Tickets. Lottery winners will be randomly selected and notified by email. This new system is intended to provide a safer and more pleasant experience for all patrons. Some last minute tickets may be available at door. Seating in the theater is rather limited so if you want to see the Free Performance of "Twelfth Night" be sure to check out the Lottery details below. There will also be more shows this year, a total of 22.

Final Week! Below are the remaining dates and times:

Thursday, Friday & Saturday, September 2nd, 3rd & 4th

8:00pm

Wednesday & Sunday, September 1 and 5

7:30pm

Saturday & Sunday, September 4th and 5th

2:00pm

Tickets are limited to 2 per person. The Box Office staff will begin distributing tickets to lottery winners at 4 p.m. for evening performances and 11:30 a.m. for matinees. Tickets must be claimed by one half hour before the performance and will be released to the standby line at that time. Standby tickets are subject to availability and are limited to 2 tickets per person.

"Of the world's 6.5 billion people, 5.8 billion, or ninety percent, often lack the means to purchase even the most basic goods. The exhibition explores a growing movement to design low-cost solutions for those not traditionally served by professional designers and focuses on the following themes: shelter, health, water, education, energy, and transport."

"Painter Matthew Mann combines 14th century imagery with the cowboy archetype in a contemporary adaptation of Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel. Creating surreal and oftentimes humorous paintings, Mann interprets American-ness through the lens of Italian quattrocento painting and the gunslinger as defined by foreign-born filmmakers and writers." from the facebook invite.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Xerox Copy Transfer Techniques

Satuday, August 28th

1:30pm - 3:00pm

Free

Join Utrecht staff to make Xerox transfers using Xylene solvent and acrylic medium. Xylene can transfer toner images or text onto almost any surface. Acrylic medium transfers create a translucent film of your image or text. A perfect way to expand your printmaking and painting repertoire!

Comcast Outdoor Film FestivalFree with ticketsThe festival will offer two nights of free movies on a 40 foot screen in the beautiful national park setting. Stadium seating will be provided inside the amphitheatre. Free tickets will be given out at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre box office (limit 4 per person) prior to the event, beginning at noon on both days. Gates open at 7:00 p.m. each evening, and the movies begin at dark.

Metro: Only accessible by bus along 16th St you can take any S bus, S1, S9, S2, S4, from Silver Spring Metro or McPherson Sqaure, pick up along 16th or at I and 15th, or you can walk over to 16th St and Irving from Columbia Heights Metro, the bus ride is shortest from Columbia Heights.

"Every Saturday for the last six years an old factory in the Friedrichshain section of Berlin plays home to the few remaining torchbearers of pure, unbridled techno. In Washington DC three fellows cling to the sound being emitted from this night and have remained faithful to every release, mix and step of these precious few. These brave souls will unleash their years of experience on Jimmy V's in Klubnacht." Performers include: PeteOne, Schubert and Associate. Music begins 9:00pm sharp.

There is a New H Street Shuttle Stop now that goes to Jimmy Valentine's! Click here to read more about the new route! And here is a shuttle schedule, courtesy of The Capital City Diner, which is across the street from Jimmy Valentine's.

Jimmy Valentine's Lonely Hearts Club*1113 Bladensburg Road NE

Note* Jimmy's is an unmarked bar but there is a glowing lightboard above the entrance.

Note also: If you don't have a car, I'd recommend taking a taxi from NY Ave Metro or taking the H St Shuttle from Gallery Place Chinatown Metro, which apparently has a new stop close to Jimmy Valentine's - see tweet below I got from @HstreetDC on twitter: "Yes!!! New #HSt shuttle stop is @CapCityDiner across B'burg Rd from @JimmyValentines. (white bldg, no sign) Great news!"

Jimmy Valentine's Lonely Hearts Club1113 Bladensburg Rd NE

Metro: Closest station is NY Ave or Anacostia. The X6, X8 and B2 Metro Bus lines run close-by if you don't want to take the free H St Shuttle from Gallery Place Chinatown Metro.

Free Yoga classes at Lululemon Georgetownevery Wednesday and Sunday at noon, and a free Run club every Wednesday at 9 a.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m.

RevolutionCycles offers a free Group Bike Ride every Sunday (except the first Sunday of the month) at 9 a.m.

CycleLife hosts a free ‘Beginner’s Ride’ every Friday at noon and a free ‘DC Velo’ fast group bike ride every Saturday from 7 to 9 a.m. They also host a power lunch boot camp every Monday and Wednesday where the first class is free.

You are invited to Hillyer Art Space for a miracle berry closing of Corwin Levi's Ruptured Walls: Flower Paintings and Pam Rogers' Germination Projects. If you haven't seen their unique artistic takes on the natural world, trying a miracle berry along with an assortment of unusual foods and alcohol is your perfect opportunity. To learn more about miracle berries, click here to read a write up in the NY Times. This evening is being sponsored by Clarity Law Group, a law firm that specializes in small businesses and takes pride in a left-brain/right-brain culture that encourages creativity. Arrive early as miracle berries are first come, first serve and may run out.

Beyond Bias: A Series on Racial JusticeThursday, August 26th6:00pm – 8:00pmFree and open to all!

Join the YWCA NCA for a presentation of two stories that share, with honesty and candor, both the challenges and the hopes for racial healing from cross racial perspectives. Come and meet the authors! “Seeing Heaven in the Face of Black Men” – Tod M. Ewing, “Longing – Stories of Racial Healing” – Phyllis and Eugene Unterschuetz. For more information, contact Twanisha Mitchell at tmitchell(at)ywcanca.org.

City Gallery804 H St, NESecond FloorMetro: The H St Corridor is best reached by bus (90 lines go to 8th St & H) or you can take the free shuttle (search on Free in DC for H St Shuttle post with info) or X2 bus from Gallery Place Chinatown.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC) is pleased to announce the return of 1460 Wall Mountables, DCAC’s annual open exhibition. All works fit in 2x2 spaces. Since the first Wall Mountables in 1990, the exhibition has become a celebrated summer tradition at DCAC. One of the center’s most important fundraising events, the open exhibition runs fromJuly 23–August 29.

Metro: See Metro trip planner please for best bus access from metro, nearest one I think is Pentagon or Pentagon City. You can also see this link about getting around Shirlington, I think it might be more helpful.

Temperatures this high can cause serious illness or even death. To combat the heat several organizations have already enacted plans to open cooling center during the hottest part of the day, mainly from noon until 6 PM in most communities.

Listed below are the cooling center locations for Washington D.C. and Prince William county in Northern Virginia. As for the other major governmental organizations such as Montgomery and Fairfax counties the latest available information asks that you go to any public facility that is air conditioned (such as malls and senior centers) to stay cool.

If these counties list their information we will make the appropriate updates right here on WUSA.COM.

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